Analemma Wines is one of those unique wineries that straddle two states while enjoying one American Viticultural Area (AVA). Located 10 minutes from Hood River, Oregon, Analemma now harvests from three separate vineyards but when they learned early on that their original leased vineyard was best suited for sparkling wines, it caused quite a paradigm shift.
Before we delve into that, it might be best to go back to the prequel, if you will, where we find ourselves nearly losing the owners of Analemma to the rugged beauty of New Zealand.
Co-owner Steven Thompson switched gears from cycling guide to cellar rat about 15 years ago. It was in Walla Walla that he met his wife and business partner, Kris Fade. After his graduation from the Enology and Viticulture program at Walla Walla Community College, Thompson and Fade embarked on a one-year overseas adventure that would become Fade’s first foray into the wine industry.
As Fade described it, New Zealand possesses comparable traits to the Pacific Northwest and the allure to stay was strong.
“We spent a lot of time looking at properties and dreaming and wishing,” Fade says. “We even looked at a winery for sale in Central Otago. There are amazing similarities of New Zealand and Oregon—land mass, population, dramatic climate changes, cool coastal, eastern desert, so many things in common.”
In the end, the support of their family and friends brought them home. Refocused on the Northwest, their thoughts of relocating to the Columbia Gorge AVA were solidified when a friend of Thompson’s shared with them an opportunity to lease the historic Atavus Vineyard. Sitting at the 1,700-foot elevation on the Washington side, Atavus was previously named Dragonfly Vineyard and established under the direction of Dr. Walter Clore in 1968.
So Thompson and Fade rolled up their sleeves and went to work tending to and harvesting Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir, with the intention of making red Pinot… That was until another Gorge grower suggested the grapes might be better suited for white wine.
“Mont Elise Winery had been making sparkling wine, some of the earliest in the early 70s,” says Fade of the previous owner. “We actually have a bottle of 1984 sparkling wine from the Mont Elise brand that the owners gifted to us.”
This new discovery radically changed the couple’s business strategy. New equipment had to be ordered and the aging length drastically altered their cash flow plan but, as winemaker, Thompson embraced the challenge and set about learning méthode champenoise—the traditional sparkling winemaking method.
“Now that the sparkling has been a success, we’re excited to share the story,” Fade says. “Steven’s a skilled winemaker and he’s been successful in that process. It’s the product of a really amazing vineyard site with historical relevance and just a bit of luck.”
Sourcing from two cooler climate vineyards—Atavus and Oak Ridge—on the Washington side, Analemma began planting Mosier Vineyards in 2012. According to Thompson, one of the primary differences of Mosier is that it’s 20 to 25 percent warmer than Atavus.
“It’s lower in elevation which means soils here are mainly derived from the Missoula floods—younger, more cobbles (and) lighter soils that heat up quicker,” Thompson says.
With the addition of Mosier Vineyards, Thompson and Fade are excitedly experimenting with reds showing more tannin and body in an attempt to showcase the diversity of the Gorge. Still on the early side of that endeavor, they prefer to focus on what is available which are some fresh and racy Champagne-style wines, a rosé of Pinot Noir and a Pinot Noir from 100 percent whole cluster fruit.
“Kris and I are really proud of being a small team producing high integrity wines farmed organically,” Thompson says. “It takes more effort and costs more but it’s important to us to do what we believe in.”
Although Analemma is currently closed for the season (reopening April 1), their selection of beautifully crafted wines can be ordered online or enjoyed at Portland, Oregon’s only Champagne bar—Ambonnay. A visit to this locally-owned, grower-producer sparkling wine house should be at the top of everyone’s springtime travel plans.
